


A Day at the Market.

by AuraSweet13



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: And she is absolutely adorable, Samar is almost five years old in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 19:12:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8025631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraSweet13/pseuds/AuraSweet13
Summary: Exactly like the title says. Shortly before Shahin is born, Samar and her father go to the market.





	A Day at the Market.

Meyer Navabi wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his hand as he finished off the paperwork from work earlier that day. He got up and moved from his study, to the hallway, towards the room where his very pregnant wife slept. He peered in, smiling fondly at the sight of her. She was still as beautiful as she was the day they'd first met; sound asleep, hair splayed around her on the pillow like a halo. And by her mother's side, playing quietly with the doll she'd been given a year prior, was their firstborn daughter Samar, who was almost five. Her hair was wild and untamed, dark like both of theirs, and long like her mother's. His smile widened slightly.

Since they'd told her she was going to be a big sister, she had been protective of both her mother and the baby growing inside of her. She'd scarcely moved from Ariella's side, especially now that she was due soon.

It was in that moment Meyer got an idea. He cupped his hands around his mouth. " _Samar, come here, my little fereshteh._ " He called softly. The nickname caught her attention. He watched her carefully lower herself to the floor and run in socked feet to him, where he caught her. _"How would you like to come with me to the market?"_

Her eyes were large as she looked at him. It seemed like she wanted to. _"I don't want to leave Maman alone."_ His heart warmed at her selflessness.

 _"Tell you what, why don't we stop by your uncle Azad's house on the way and ask him to come watch over her while we're gone? That way she won't be alone. Sound good?"_ He asked. She thought about it before nodding, and he grinned. _"Well, come on, let's go."_ He offered her his hand, and when she took it, they headed to the front door, where he stopped to sit her down and put on her shoes, and then his own. He took her hand, and they headed out. The weather was warm, but not stifling like it could be. If it was, he wouldn't have even considered bringing his young daughter to the market with him. But she seemed content, skipping along beside him, her small hand firmly in his as she chatted about the story she'd made up about her doll. And he was only too happy to listen to it.

In Iran, it was seen as better if families had male firstborns, or just sons in general. But he wasn't like that. When his wife told him she was pregnant, nothing else had mattered but the health of her and the baby. And when he held his baby girl for the first time, he knew that he would do whatever it took to protect her, especially from people who believed that daughters were less than sons.

 _"Baba, look, we're here!"_ Her little voice snapped him out of his thoughts as they came up to the Banai house.

He knocked on the door, aware of her bouncing on the balls of her little feet. When Azad opened the door, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him with a pleased cry of _"Dâyi!"_ Her enthusiasm had both men grinning.

 _"Hello, Azad."_ Meyer said, clapping his brother in law lightly on the back. At first, he hadn't known what to make of his wife's older brother. But once they realized that the other liked watching sports, the three of them-being himself, Azad and Meyer's own brother Danyal, made it a habit to watch any games whenever they were on. _"Samar and I are heading to the market, but she was apprehensive about leaving Ariella alone. I would greatly appreciate it if you could go watch over her until we get back, barâdarzan._ "

Azad smiled, stroking his niece's wild curls. _"You don't have to ask me twice. I'll head over there now."_

 _"Thank you."_ Meyer said. That matter settled, the pair of them continued on their way to the market. It wasn't far, only about ten minutes, but Samar didn't seem to care. She had the energy only a child could and it warmed his heart.

As they got closer to the market, and the sounds of it reached them, he was aware of Samar pressing closer against his side. Looking down, he saw the apprehension in her eyes, in the curve of her tiny mouth. There was curiosity, too, but it was outweighed by the fact that she was clearly anxious. An idea came to him. Smiling, he lifted her a slight distance off the ground, delighting in her squeal of surprise, which quickly dissolved into laughter. He would never let anything happen to her, and he hoped that, though she was young, she knew that. _"Come on, let me show you my favorite places in the market."_ He said, and then lifted her up onto his shoulders so he could walk around the market without being worried about her accidentally letting go of his hand. As he walked through the market, pointing out various stalls he liked, food, clothes, treats, Samar sat on his shoulders, feeling tall. She wasn't very tall now, though her family said she'd grow, she didn't think that was true. Her cousins Cyrus and Faraj were so much taller than her, but they were older than her, and male-according to her mother, boys grew faster than girls, and girls matured faster than boys.

" _Baba, we should get something for the baby_." She suggested as she caught sight of a toy stall. He smiled, though she couldn't see it, and headed over to said stall. Reaching up, he lifted her down to the ground so she could have a better look. He smiled at the look of sheer concentration on his daughter's face as she pored over the various toys, as if she was mentally deciding what the best one to get for her unborn sibling was. As she looked at the assortment of toys, he reached for a figurine of a bird that he recognized from an old Persian tale his own parents used to tell him. Simurgh, a great, large bird who looked after the young warrior known as Zal. He purchased it while his daughter was enthralled with the toys and hid the small figurine in his pocket at the same time Samar picked out a small brown teddy bear and showed it to him. _"Perfect."_ She said.

 _"That's the one you want?"_ He asked, and when she nodded he gently took it from her. _"I think the baby will love it."_ The beaming smile she gave him never failed to melt his heart. He'd never thought he could love anything so much until he held his daughter for the first time. He handed money over to the vendor for the stuffed bear. He handed the toy to Samar, who smiled and held it close to her. _"Shall we move on, fereshteh?"_ He asked, and again she nodded. She took his offered hand with her free one, and they once against started through the market. And all the while, Meyer thought of the toy in his pocket. He needed to wait for the perfect time to give it to her. Whenever that was. He continued to tell her about all of his favorite stalls in the market, waving to people and lifting Samar up every so often so she could wave to them too. She did so, beaming all the while, and it warmed Meyer's heart to see the market as charmed by his and Ariella's little girl as the two of them were.

 _"I like it here, baba."_ Samar said, and when he looked at her, he found her smiling up at him. _"The people are nice."_

Meyer nodded, thinking about to his and Ariella's wedding _aghd_ , and how receptive of it the people had been. _"They are."_ As they passed a sweets stall, he stopped to buy Samar a handful of sweets he knew she liked. _"Not all at once, joonam."_ He told her gently, watching as she nodded and ate one from the bag, her little fingers trying to do it up. Gently taking it from her, he tied a knot to keep the candy from falling out. _"If you want any more let me know, all right?"_

 _"Okay, baba."_ Samar responded. When they reached the end of the market, he turned them around and they headed back home. He picked up Samar and carried her the rest of the way back, figuring her feet must be tired. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling her head into the crook of his neck, and he smiled and held her a little tighter. He was aware of the small bag of sweets and the figurine moving around slightly in his pocket, but he ignored it. Before he knew it, they had reached the house. He carried her inside.

 _"Hello?"_ He heard his wife call as he closed the door behind them.

Samar's reaction was instantaneous. _"Maman!"_ He put her down and she ran as fast as her little legs would carry her into the bedroom. Meyer was so endeared by the sight, he didn't even stop to think about the fact that she still had her shoes on. Because he wasn't almost five years old, he took the time to take his off before following the sound of his two favorite girls-Samar telling Ariella excitedly about the market, and his beautiful wife's warm laughter. He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and smiled at the sight of Samar curled up on the bed, looking almost protective, the little stuffed bear resting against Ariella's belly. While Samar talked animatedly, he discreetly pulled the figurine from his pocket, showing it to Ariella. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before they lit up with yet another smile. He sat down on the edge of the bed, showing the toy to Samar. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked at it, and then at him. _"Baba, what is it?"_

 _"This is Simurgh, sweetheart."_ Ariella spoke, stroking Samar's hair. _"A great and powerful bird. Her story is an old one. Would you like to hear it?"_ As Samar nodded, he shifted to sit on Samar's other side. Ariella started to tell the story, and he sat there with his arm curled around his daughter, looking adoringly at his wife.

He didn't think he would ever stop being thankful for the life he had, the family he had been given. He'd heard whispers of how lucky he was, and not for the first time, he found himself agreeing wholeheartedly. Smiling, he rested his head against the pillow behind his head and closed his eyes, utterly content.

**Author's Note:**

> Aghd is Farsi for 'ceremony', if the site I got it from is accurate.


End file.
